Ingredients

• 1 packet ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry
• rolled out to 0.5cm/¼in thick
• 175g/6oz butter
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• 175g/6oz ground walnuts
• 110g/4oz breadcrumbs
• 300g/11oz damson jam
• 12 walnut halves
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• 50g/2oz butter
• 400g/14oz medlars
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
• For the tart
• line a deep 23cm/9in tart tin with the sweet shortcrust pastry. Place a sheet of baking paper or foil over the pastry and weigh down with baking beans or rice.
• Place the tart tin onto a baking sheet
• transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the paper or foil and baking beans from the tart tin
• then return to the oven for a further ten minutes until the pastry is lightly golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
• Crack in the eggs
• one at a time
• mixing well between each addition.
• Add the ground walnuts and breadcrumbs and fold together until well combined.
• Spread two thirds of the damson jam over the base of the pastry case. Cover with the walnut filling mixture and smooth the top using a wet palette knife. Place the walnut halves around the edge of the filling.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes
• or until risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile
• in a bowl
• whip the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold in the remaining damson jam.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• For the roasted medlars
• heat the butter in an ovenproof frying pan and fry the medlars for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the sugar and cinnamon stick
• then transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes
• or until the medlars are soft and the skins have split.
• To serve
• cut the tart into slices and place onto serving plates with a spoonful of damson cream and some roasted medlars.